Grain car door



May 30, 1944. M. BEAUDINE 2,349,934

GRAIN GAR DOOR Filed Jan. 19, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z Inventor M05551 BEfiUDM/E Y6 By emu Wavy E y 30, 1944- M. l. BEAUDINE 2,349,934

GRAIN CAR DOOR Filed Jan. 19, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 M0555 I BE/JUD/NE s Q By Q06 #1 WWW Hm Inventor Patented May 30, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GRAIN CAR DOOR Moses I. Beaudine, Abercrombie, N. Il'ak. Application January 19, 1944, Serial No. 518,873

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in grain car doors, and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character which is adapted to be expeditiously pulled upwardly beneath the roof of the car to open position.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a grain car door of the aforementioned character embodying a novel operating mechanism whereby said door may be opened and closed from outside the car.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide a grain car door of the character described which embodies a plurality of transverse, hingedly connected slats of a unique construction and arrangement.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a grain car door of the character set forth which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in operation, compact, and which may be manufactured and installed at low cost.

All of the foregoing, and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like charactersof reference designate corresponding parts throughout end portion of the operating mechanism, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in vertical section through the lower end portion of the door,

taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that reference character I designates generally a portion of a railroad grain car comprising a roof 2, a door frame 3, et cetera. Mounted on the inner faces of the vertical members 4 of the frame 3 is a pair of metallic guides 5 of angular cross section. A door 6 is slidable vertically in the guides 5.

I Cl. 160-133) In the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated, hangers I depend from the roof 2 of the car I at a point adjacent the longitudinal center of said roof. Journaled on the hangers I is a shaft 8. Peripherally grooved reels 9 are fixed on the shaft 8. Drums I8 are also fixed on the shaft 8, outwardly of the reels 9.

Mounted horizontally on the upper portions of the door frame members 4 are inwardly projecting brackets II. A shaft I2, which parallels the shaft 8, is journaled on the brackets II. Peripherally grooved pulleys I3 are mounted on the shaft I2.

Cables I4 are trained over the pulleys I3 and anchored, at one end, to the reels 9 in the grooves thereof for winding thereon. The door 6 includes a multiplicity of transverse slats I5 which are slidably strung on the cables I 4, thus hingedly connecting said slats. The end portions of the slats I5 are slidable in the guides 5. The .slats I5 are provided with metallic casings I8 of substantially U-shaped cross section. The cables I4 are anchored, at one end, in the lowermost slat I5. This is shown to advantage in Figure 5 of the drawings. It will thus be seen that a flexible door has been provided, which door is operable over the pulleys I3 for winding on the reels 9. Racks or guides I! are suspended from the roof 2 of the car I for supporting the door 6 between the pulleys I3 and the reels 9.

Journaled in the vertical members 4 in the upper portion of the frame 3 is an operating shaft I8. As best seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, the end portions of the shaft I8 project through and beyond the members 4 and fixed thereon are drums I9. The shaft I8 is operatively connected to the shaft 8 through the medium of cables 20 having their ends secured to the drums I0 and I9 for winding thereon. A hand lever 2I on the shaft I8 is operatively connected thereto by a pawl and ratchet device 22. A dog 23 is provided for releasably securing the shaft I8 against retrograde rotation.

It is thought that the operation of the door will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, with the door 6 in closed position, the major portions of the cables 20 are wound on the drums I0 and the cables I4 pass over the pulleys I3 with said door 6 suspended thereon in the guides 5. To elevate the door 6 to open position, the shaft I8 is actuated through the medium of the hand lever 2|. Thus, the cables 28 are wound on the drums I9 from the drums I8, thereby actuating the shaft 8 in a direction to wind the cables I4 and the flexible door 6 on the reels 9. As hereinbefore stated. the cables I 4 pull the flexible door upwardly over the pulleys l3 and then on to the reels 9, said door being supported by the racks or des ii. To permit the door 6 to be lowered to closed position, it is only necessary to disengage the dog 28 from the ratchet 22, thereby allowing the cables 20 to be rewound on the drums ill from the drums i9. Handles 24 are provided on the lower end portion of the door 6.

It is believed thatthe many advantages of a grain car door constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood, and although a preferred embodiment of the device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details f construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is: l. The combination with a grain car having a door opening, a frame for the opening including a pair of vertical members, and a roof, a pair 2. The combination with a grain car having a door opening, a frame for the opening including a pair of vertical members, and a roof, a pair of I guides mounted vertically on said vertical members, a pair of spaced, parallel, horizontal shafts rotatably suspended from the roof, reels fixed on one of the shafts, pulleys fixed on the other of said shafts, cables severally operable on the pulleys and secured, at one end, to the reels for winding thereon, a flexible door mounted on the cables and operable in the guides, said door being operable over the pulleys and windable on the reels, and means for actuating the reels for v winding the cables and the door thereon, said means including drums fixed on said reel shaft,

an operating shaft Journaled in the vertical members of the frame, the end portions of said oper-' ating shaft projecting through and beyond the vertical members, drums fixed on the projecting end portions of the operating shaft, cables having their ends secured to the first and secondnamed drums for winding thereon, and a hand lever operatively connected to the operating shaf t for actuating same for winding the second-named cables on the second-named drums from the first-named drums.

3. The. combination with a grain car having a door opening, a frame for the opening including a pair of vertical members, and a roof, a pair of guides mounted vertically on said vertical members, a pair of spaced, parallel, horizontal shafts rotatably suspended from the roof, reels fixed on one of the shafts, pulleys fixed on the other or said shafts, cables severally operable on the pulleys and secured, at one end, to the reels for winding thereon, a flexible door mounted on the cables and operable in the guides, said door being operable over the pulleys and windable on the reels, and means for actuating the reels for winding the cables and the door thereon, said door comprising a. multiplicity of transverse slats slidably strung on the cables and having their end portions slidably engaged in the guides, said slats resting by gravity one on the other and being hingedly connected by the cables, one end of the cables being anchored in the lowermost of the slats.

4. A grain car door comprising a pair of spaced, parallel shafts mounted in the upper portion of a car, reels fixed on one of the shafts, pulleys mounted on the other of said shafts, cables severally operable over the pulleys and secured at one end to the reels for winding thereon, a flexible door mounted on the cables and operable over the pulleys and windable on the reels, racks suspended from the roof of the car for supporting and guiding the flexible door between the pulleys and the reels, and means for actuating said reels for winding the cables and the flexible door thereon.

MOSES I. BEAUDINE. 

